A system and a method for distributing power to telecommunication subscriber lines is disclosed. It is important that the power dissipation in the subscriber line interface circuits, SLICs is reduced. Power dissipation occurs when the subscriber lines are fed with a voltage level that is higher than necessary. It is also important that the implementation allows for flexibility when configuring the subscriber lines. These problem have been solved by using a power distribution system comprising at least three power supply units with different power supply voltages, a control unit and a switching unit connected between the SLICs and the power supply units. The control unit is adapted to determine the loop voltages of the subscriber lines and to connect the corresponding SLIC to the power supply unit giving the least power dissipation.
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1. A power distribution system, comprising: at least three power supply units for feeding a plurality of subscriber line interface circuits, each adapted to be connected to a corresponding subscriber line; a switch unit adapted to connect current from the power supply units to the subscriber line interface circuits; and, a control unit adapted to: determine a loop voltage of the subscriber lines when engaged; set a different power supply voltage level for each of the at least three power supply units, wherein a highest power supply voltage level Vh is set to a value Vh=maxVab+Vas, wherein maxVab is a highest determined loop voltage and Vas is a predefined value for an anti saturation gap, and wherein the at least two power supply voltage levels below Vh are set by trying out combinations in predefined steps until a sum of the differences between the power supply voltage levels and the voltage levels needed to operate the corresponding subscriber lines is minimized; and, control the switch unit so that each one of the plurality of subscriber line interface circuits is fed from one of the at least three power supply units having a lowest power supply voltage level that is sufficiently high to operate the corresponding subscriber line.
A power distribution system minimizes power dissipation in telephone subscriber lines. It uses at least three power supply units with different voltage levels to power subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs). A switch connects the power supplies to the SLICs. A control unit determines the voltage needed for each active subscriber line (loop voltage). The highest power supply voltage is set to the highest measured loop voltage plus a safety margin (anti-saturation gap). The lower power supply voltages are determined by iteratively trying different voltage level combinations to minimize the difference between the supply voltage and the voltage needed by each active subscriber line. The control unit then connects each SLIC to the lowest voltage power supply that can still properly operate that line, reducing wasted power.
2. The power distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further adapted to: determine the loop voltages of the subscriber lines at regular intervals and, if necessary, perform at least one of the following: calculate new power supply voltage levels; set the new power supply voltage levels for the power supply units; and connect the line interface circuits to another power supply unit.
The power distribution system described previously also dynamically adjusts to changing line conditions. The control unit periodically measures the loop voltages of the subscriber lines. If necessary, it recalculates and resets the power supply voltage levels. It also switches the connections between the SLICs and the power supply units to maintain the lowest possible power consumption. This ensures that the system adapts to variations in line usage and characteristics over time. Regular adjustment is triggered by significant loop voltage changes.
3. The power distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply units comprise DC/DC converters.
In the power distribution system for subscriber lines, the power supply units, which provide different voltage levels, are implemented using DC/DC converters. This allows for efficient conversion of a main power source into the multiple voltage levels needed for optimized power delivery to the subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs). This enhances efficiency and allows for precise voltage control.
4. The power distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the power distribution system is combined with the plurality of subscriber line interface circuits to form at least one subscriber line interface unit.
The power distribution system for subscriber lines is physically combined with multiple subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs) into one or more subscriber line interface units. This integration creates a modular and compact design, simplifying installation and maintenance. This also allows for optimized power delivery and signal integrity by minimizing the distance between the power supply and the SLICs.
5. The power distribution system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one subscriber line interface unit forms a switching system.
The subscriber line interface unit, which combines the power distribution system and subscriber line interface circuits, forms a switching system. This means the unit is designed to connect and disconnect subscriber lines as needed, providing telecommunications switching functionality. This combined functionality is integrated into a single hardware component.
6. The power distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the power distribution system feeds the plurality of subscriber line interface circuits on a plurality of subscriber line interface units, forming a switching system.
In the subscriber line power distribution system, the power distribution system feeds the subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs) that are located on multiple subscriber line interface units. These multiple units collectively form a switching system. This architecture allows for scalability and flexibility in telecommunication networks, supporting a large number of subscriber lines connected through a distributed switching system.
7. A method for reducing power dissipation in a plurality of subscriber line interface circuits, each connected to a corresponding subscriber line, wherein the subscriber line interface circuits are fed by a power distribution system comprising at least three power supply units, the method comprising: determining a loop voltage of each corresponding subscriber line when engaged; setting different power supply voltage levels for the at least three power supply units, wherein the highest power supply voltage level Vh is set to a value Vh=maxVab+Vas, wherein maxVab is a highest determined loop voltage and Vas is a predefined value for an anti saturation gap, and wherein the at least two power supply voltage levels below Vh are set by trying out combinations in predefined steps until the sum of the differences between the power supply voltage levels and the voltage levels needed to operate the corresponding subscriber lines is minimized; and, connecting each subscriber line interface circuit to one of the at least three power supply units having a lowest power supply voltage level that is sufficiently high to operate the corresponding subscriber line.
A method for reducing power dissipation in telephone subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs) involves using a power distribution system with at least three power supply units. The method includes determining the voltage needed for each active subscriber line (loop voltage). Different voltage levels are set for each power supply unit. The highest voltage is set to the maximum measured loop voltage plus a safety margin. The lower power supply voltages are determined by iteratively trying voltage level combinations to minimize the difference between the supply voltage and the voltage needed by each line. Each SLIC is then connected to the lowest voltage power supply that can still properly operate that line, reducing wasted power.
8. The method for reducing power dissipation according to claim 7 , wherein the step of determining the loop voltages is performed at regular intervals and wherein any of the steps of calculating and setting the power supply voltages and connecting subscriber lines to another power supply unit are performed if necessary.
The power dissipation reduction method described previously includes periodic monitoring of the subscriber line loop voltages. If any of the loop voltages change significantly, the power supply voltages are recalculated and adjusted, and the connections between the subscriber lines and the power supply units are reconfigured if necessary. This dynamic adjustment optimizes power consumption over time, responding to changing line conditions. This process is automated for efficiency.
9. The method for reducing power dissipation according to claim 7 , wherein the minimum voltage level Vmin necessary for operating a subscriber line is defined as Vmin=Vab+Vas, where Vab is the loop voltage of the subscriber line.
Within the method for reducing power dissipation in subscriber lines, the minimum voltage required to operate a specific subscriber line (Vmin) is calculated as the loop voltage of that line (Vab) plus a predefined safety margin (Vas). This ensures that the SLIC receives sufficient voltage to function correctly without unnecessary power consumption. The safety margin prevents signal distortion.
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November 9, 2010
July 18, 2017
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